Cartridge case basket



July 24, 1956 c, w, c c ErAL CARTRIDGE CASE BASKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1955 iz q ,9

mperi ATTORNE Y5 July 24, 1956 c. w. COCHRAN ETAL CARTRIDGE CASE BASKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1953 INVENTOR s Churl 2.5 W E c: chnunglr Adtl 1 e 1*: t] Lam e N: smmmm MM HTTORNE Y5 United States Patent CARTRIDGE CASE BASKET Charles W. Cochran and Adalbert J. Lampert, Aldan, Pa.,

assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application November 25, 1953, Serial No. 394,522

9 Claims. (Cl. 220-19) This invention is a crate for holding a number of manufactured articles which are to be processed.

An object of the invention is to provide a crate which will hold the articles at a predetermined and uniform height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crate which will hold cylindrical articles of varying lengths with their outer ends at a uniform height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crate having pedestals for holding cylindrical closed-end articles in an inverted position above the side walls for ease of loading and unloading.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crate having a retaining grille, slidable in guides, from a clamping position locking the articles to their respective pedestals to 21 released position in which the retaining grille is slid from the clamping position and dropped to rest on the crate body to give unobstructed access to the pedestals while loading and unloading.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan of a crate constructed according to the invention and showing the retaining grille in open position.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the retaining grille in clamping position, and by broken lines in released position.

Figure 3 is an end view of the crate as viewed from the right hand side of Figure 2, and

"Figure 4 is a schematic view of the crate in use.

"Referring-now to the drawings, wherein for the purpose of-"illustration is shown one form of the invention, the reference character 5 indicates generally a fabricated wire receptacle. The receptaclepreferably is made of heavy wire strands of any suitable configuration which will provide'the necessary strength and rigidity secured together by welding or other suitable means. One side wall 6 is formed with upright end posts 7 and 8 connected by cross braces9, Figure 2. V A top ,rail 10 joins the end posts and the cross braces. An opposite side wall 11 is formed with upright end posts 12 and 13 connected by cross braces 14, Figure 4, similar to the braces 9 in the side wall 6. A top rail 15 joins the end posts 12 and 13 and the cross braces 14. The end posts 8 and 13 are continued upwardly and are bent downwardly and toward each other, Figure 3, to form lifting loops 16 and 17 respectively.

Referring more particularly to Figure 3, the end wall 18 is formed with a lower rail 19 and inclined end posts 20 and 21 secured at their lower ends to the respective ends of rail 19 and terminating at their upper ends in a horizontal rail 22 shown as lying in the horizontal plane of top rails 11) and 15 of their respective side walls 6 and 11. The upper ends of the lifting loops 16 and 17 are secured to the respective junctions of the horizontal rail 22 with inclined posts 20 and 21, as clearly shown upon Figure 3, to thus form loops by which the entire crate Patented July 24, 1956 may be supported and conveyed during processing of the articles loaded therewithin.

An opposite end wall 23 is constructed similarly to the 29a each of which has one end secured to the inside bend of its drag bar and extends outwardly and downwardly with its other end secured to a respective end post between the ends thereof. The purpose of these drag bars is explained in the description of operation of the invention.

The bottom of the crate is formed as an open mesh or grill by spaced parallel longitudinal rods 31 secured at their ends to the respective lower rails 19 and 24, and by spaced parallel transverse rods 32 secured at their ends to the outermost ones of the rods 31. Each rod 32 is connected to each rod 31 at the points where it passes over and in contact therewith. In the model illustrated provision is made for the reception of fifteen articles and the spacing of the bottom rods is regular as clearly shown upon Figure l. A pedestal 33 is secured to and supported by the rods 31 and 32 at each of the fifteen points where these rods cross. Each pedestal is a fabricated structure formed by securing upright strands of wire to the bottom grill. The lower ends of two wire strands 34, of each pedestal, are secured to a transverse rod at equal distances on opposite sides of a longitudinal rod 31. A third wire strand 35 is secured at its lower end to a longitudinal rod 31 of the bottom closure. See Figure l. The wires of each group are parallel and extend upwardly in equiangular relation a predetermined distance above the plane of the top rails 10 and 15 of the side Walls. Secured to and about the upper outwardly-bent ends of each group of strands 34 and 35 is a reinforcing and spacing ring 36. A second reinforcing ring 37 is secured to and within the strands 34 and 35 intermediate their length. See Figure 2. By this construction each group of the aforesaid upright strands is rigidly united in equiangularly spaced relation to form an article-supporting pedestal.

A retaining grille 38, having longitudinal side members 39 and transverse members 40, is positioned above the receptacle 5 and slidably secured thereon. Secured to the top rails 10 and 15 at required intervals are inverted U-shaped guides 41. See Figure 3. The retaining grille is first positioned with its side rails 39 resting upon top rails 10 and 15, respectively and with its end member 40 about midway between the final two rows of pedestals, as shown at Figure 1. The guides 41 are then welded to secure their ends to opposite sides of the respective top or rod bent near one end and having both ends secured to the underlying member 39. The retaining grille is so constructed and arranged that in the loading position each rod 40 lies about midway between rows of pedestals, as shown at Figure 1 in solid lines and at Figure 2 in dotted lines. When shifted longitudinally to the operating position shown in solid lines upon Figure 2, each rod 40 lies" directly above its corresponding row of pedestals. This figure also shows in dotted lines, two shell casings C each in position over a pedestal; and it will be noted that when the retaining grille is first raised to the full extent permitted by guides 41 and then slid horizontally to the left-as viewed on Figure 2," the cover is cammed'downwardly by coaction between the cam members 43 and the bight portions of guides 4i so that each rod4!) of the retaining grille extends across, engages and firmlyholds a row of articles upon the pedestals.

in operation, with retaining grille in the position shown uponFigure l, the crate is loaded by inverting a shell casing or like article downwardly over each pedestal as indicated in dotted lines, Figure 2. The retaining grille. is then raised and forced to the left until all casings are held firmly upon the pedestals.

The method of processing articles of manufacture is illustrated in Figure 4, wherein a loaded crate 5 is shown being carried through such processes as washing, pickling, annealing, heat treating, phosphatizing and the like. A tank 45 used in the above mentioned processes is provided with a rub rail 46 in the bottom thereof. Suitably secured above the tank is a trolley 47 which forms a'track 48 for roller-carriages 49. Secured to each carriage is a cable or the like 56 to which a pair of hooks 51 are attached, only the near one being visible in the drawing. The hooks 51 engage the lifting loops l6 and 17 and support the crate during its travel through the bath, the top level of which is indicated by the letter B. When a loaded crate is lowered into the bath, air or other gases are trapped inside the articles under treatment, such as cartridge cases, and in order to treat all surfaces of the cases to the bath it is necessary to tilt the crate sufiiciently to allow the entrapped gases to escape through the open end of the processed article. When the crate is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A, the drag bars 28 and 29 come into contact with the rub rail 46. Continued movement of the carriage 49 tilts the crate to the second position shown in Figure-4 wherein the open ends of the casesare now uppermost so that the air previously entrapped can escape and the entire inner surface of casings are subjected to the processing bath.

in the claims the term upwardly is to be interpreted with respect to the positions of the parts as shown upon Figures 2 and 3.

it is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred cxamplcof the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resortedto, without departing from the spirit of the invention or, the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rectangular fabricated wire crate comprising end said bottom closure, a plurality of guide members secured lo the upper-edge of said side Walls, a retaining grille slidahle in said guides from released to clamping positions, cam means on said retaining grille cooper-able with said guide members for depressing said retaining grille into contact; with the articles to hold them firmly on their respective pedestals when said retaining grille-is slid to clamping position. I

2. A rectangular receptacle for holding articles of manufacture to be processed comprising endand side walls, a bottom closure secured thereto, each of said-side wa is having a top rail, a plurality of outwardly-extending guide members secured to said top rails, aretaining grille having side rails confined within said guide members for limited sliding movement from a released to a clamping position, a plurality of pedestals secured to said bottom closure and extending outwardly beyond said-top rails supporting said articles of -manufacture beyond said side walls. for ease of loading and unloading, and cam means on said retaining grille cooperating with said guide members to cam. said retaining grille against the-outward end of said articles of manufacture when said retaining grille is in closed position.

3. A fabricated wire crate comprising spaced side walls, spaced end walls connected at their ends to said walls, a bottom closure secured to said side and end walls to form a receptacle, a plurality of spaced pedestals secured to said bottom closure each pedestal formed to support a closed end cylinder, aninverted U-shaped guide secured to the top of each side wall adjacent the ends thereof, a fabricated retainer having side members longitudinally slidable in said guides a predetermined distance, and. means slidable with said retainer to engage the closed end of said inverted U-shapcd. guide to cam said retainer into close contact with the closedend of each cylinder to hold each said cylinder securely to its pedestal when said retainer is in clamping position.

4. A rectangular fabricated wire crate comprising end and sidewalls, afabricated wire. bottom closure secured thereto, a plurality of spaced fabricated .wire pedestals secured to said bottom closure each pedestal shaped' to conform to the internal contour of a closed-end article to be processed, a plurality of inverted U-shaped guide members secured to the upper edge of and extending above said side walls, a fabricated wireretaining grille having side rails slidable between the legs of said U-shaped' guide members from released to clamping positions, and wedge shaped cam members on said side railsslidable between said guide legs and contacting the closed end of said U-shaped guide for camming said retaining grille into close contact with said closed-end article when said retaining grille is slid into clampingposition.

'5. A rectangular fabricated wire crate comprising endand side walls, a bottom closure secured thereto, a plurality of spaced pedestals secured. to said bottom. closure each pedestal supporting anarticle to be processed at a uniform predetermined distance above the, top of said walls, a plurality of inverted U-shaped guide members secured to the upper edge of and extending above the top of said side walls, a fabricated wire retaining grillehaving side rails slidable between the legs of said u-shaped guide member from released to clamping positions, and cam members on said side rails slidable between said guide legs and contacting the closed upper end of said U-shaped guide for carnming said retaining grille into contactwith each of saidarticles to be processed said retaining, grille dropping to rest on the top of the sidewalls when. slid to released position.

6. In an open wire crate, a bottom comprising a first plurality ofspaced parallel. rods and a second plurality of spaced parallel rods secured over and in contacting right angular relation with said. first plurality of rodsto form a grill, and a pedestal secured to and upstanding from said bottom, said pedestal comprising a pair of up standing wires each having its lower end secured .to. one

of said second plurality of rods on opposite sides of. its intersection with the contiguous one or said first plurality of rods, and a third upstanding wire having its lower end secured to said contiguous one of said first plurality of rods; and ring means interconnecting the top ends of said wires inequi-angularly-spaced relation.

7. In an openwork crate for the processing of tubular articles, first and second. rods bent into closed rectangular form, four rods connecting the corresponding corners of said: first and second. rods to hold the same in parallel spaced relation and definea top. and a bottom respectively,

a first plurality'of, rods securedat theirends to opposed sides of said bottom in spaced, parallel relation,-a second plurality. of rods secured at their ends-to theremainingopposed sides of said bottom in spaced parallel relation and over and in contact with said first plurality of rods to define: therewith a plurality of regularly -spacedpoints of intersection and av pedestalriding from each said point of intersection, each said pedestal comprising three upstanding wires in equiangularly-spacedrelatiom two. of said wires having one end of each securedto one of sairlsecond plurality of rods and the third having its end secured to the contiguous one of said first plurality of rods, and a ring connecting the upper ends of the wires of each pedestal to receive a tubular article to be processed.

8. An openwork crate as recited in claim 7, and a retaining grille for said crate, said retaining grille comprising a plurality of rods fixed in spaced parallel coplanar relation, each said rod passing over an aligned row of pedestals when said retaining grille is fixed to said crate in operating position thereover.

9. An openwork crate as recited in claim 8, the tops of said pedestals extending above the plane of the top of said crate, a plurality of U-shaped loops secured to and upstanding from each of two opposed sides of said top and cam members secured to the corresponding sides of said retaining grille, each said cam member cooperating with the bight portion of a corresponding loop to cam said retaining grille downwardly in response to translation of said retaining grille in the plane thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,087,209 Blakeslee Feb. 17, 1914 1,182,901 Gillespie May 16, 1916 1,310,161 Johnson July 15, 1919 2,341,635 Loesch Feb. 15, 1944 2,364,705 Geralds Dec. 12, 1944 2,367,098 Cole Jan. 9, 1945 2,401,063 Fordon May 28, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 137,914 Germany Jan. 2, 1903 129,509 Great Britain July 17, 1919 

